Melted fuse holder between Redarc dcbc and battery.

[BJ Navara]

I've got a redarc bcdc charger mounted next to my third battery in the tub with a 40amp fuse in the line between them.
The fuse hasn't blown, but the plastic fuse holder has melted. Its a 300mm run from charger to battery. The fuse holder is a supercheap item that holds the big glass fuses as its all I could find to suit the gauge of battery cable.

Has it just vibrated itself loose a bit and so bared some cable or is there a bigger problem do you think?

 

[Horatius]

As the fuse hasn't blown it sounds either like a poor connection/hot joint or a fuse holder not rated for the current. What is the rating of the fuse holder itself? Is it rated at 40 A or more? Any idea what current it is actually drawing?

I have been going away from fuses for larger things like that. Have been changing over to these style of 50A circuit breakers, they seem excellent so far. From memory they'll take up to about 35 sq mm cable with reducers for smaller cable up to 16 sq mm (what I use for second battery) in solid brass terminals. Have installed one with an Anderson plug for the compressor also, though had to go 60A as it's a big mofo and draws about 50A, trips a 50A breaker after a while.

 

[bods]

What size is the bcdc unit? The 25a or 40a? If the battery that it is charging has a lot of load on it, it will be working pretty hard, same if it gets fairly discharged before being charged again which will cause the wiring to heat up.

Have you got any photos that you can put up?

 

[BJ Navara]

The fuse holder will take fuses to to 60 amps, and on closer examination it appears the cable has worked its way loose, resulting in heat build up. This with the truck having been parked up for a while making the battery greedy when the charger kicked in hasn't helped. Neither was that the fuse holder wasn't well secured and could move a bit.
Thanks for the feedback all, I am putting it all back in tomorrow and will keep an eye on it.
It only runs the fridge and 2 led lights, so should now be fine!

 

[Horatius]

The fuse holder will take fuses to to 60 amps, and on closer examination it appears the cable has worked its way loose, resulting in heat build up.

Yep, that'll do it. Glad you got it sorted out.